Welcome back to Marvelous Videos for another breathtaking video! One of the classics will be the topic of our discussion today! You are correct; that is the Punk Frogs. These four frogs were initially presented as enemies in the TMNT video game, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge!
Like the turtles, they were also impacted by a mutagen leak, which granted them greater physical and mental strength as well as other benefits. The four frogs went from being merely souvenirs in TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge to fan favorites in the following volumes of the TMNT comics. They have since gone on to play key parts in video games, comics, and even action figures.
Let us quickly review the history of our favorites.
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The Punk Frogs in the 80s animated series and their dark origins
Since the premiere of the Punk Frogs animated series following the phenomenal success of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, the punk frogs have amassed a sizable fan base, and truthfully, many of these fans wanted to know more about the characters’ background and future once the show came to an end. The Punk Frogs and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have always had a lot in common. They are also expert martial artists trained by Shredder himself, wielding a variety of weapons. In homage to his heroes, Shredder called them Attila, Genghis, Napoleon, and Rasputin.
They were specially trained to fight the teenage mutant ninja turtles. When the frogs were young and innocent, they encountered Shredder, who manipulated them into working for him and against the turtles. Still, after a very climactic battle between them, they saw Shredder’s true colors and befriended the turtles, fighting alongside them in the final battle. Their appearances in the comics and video games have made them a fan favorite, and fans are soon hoping that they will quickly be unlocked as playable characters.
TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge
In TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, all the characters can be found in various locations at different points in the game, making the whole experience more fun and enjoyable for the player. The characters have been hidden in such spaces, which aren’t easily accessible to the players, so the players have to keep an open eye to clues and stuff to actually find them.
But don’t worry; we are here to give you some minor clues so that you don’t get tired of looking for them. Attalia, the group’s fearless leader, can be found in the zoo in Episode 4, where you have to destroy two mailboxes to meet Attila. Similarly, you can find the great Genghis in Episode 5 inside a round circular vault which you have to break into in order to spot him.
If you are a fan of Napoleon Bonafrog and wanna meet him, then you can do so in Episode 6 by destroying a cutout of the Punk Frogs in a clothing store called Random Clothing. And if Rasputin is the one who makes your heart flutter every time you hear his name, I’m sure you’d wanna meet him as well, and you can do that in Episode 9, where you can destroy a hot dog cart and meet him!
The multiplayer arcade game mainly focuses on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with the antagonist being none other than Shredder himself. It was developed by Tribute Games in 1987 and has even been remade as per fan demands. In fact, it is still being discussed as to if it will be released in PS5 or not!
Isn’t that amazing? An excellent game with literally everything, starting from action to comedy to adventure! It is undoubtedly way ahead of games being made back then. Plus, it even has secret features which the player can get by doing some tasks!
All these easter eggs and the entire gameplay make the whole game so much fun, and honestly speaking, you won’t even realize how quickly time flies by playing this game; in fact, its so much fun that even I would wanna play it over and over again just to relive every moment of the game again.
The Punk Frogs and their different adaptations
According to recent comics, the frogs have changed significantly due to different adaptations and changes in animation studios, but their story of origin remains the same.
The IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles even has two different adaptations where there are even more members in the group than four! The more, the merrier, they say, after all!
If we look into the recent polls, the 2012 punk frogs adaptation was rated the highest rated out of all the transformations of the Punk Frogs. In fact, what makes the 2012 adaptation such a hit is that they were made especially for the TMNT lovers who knew everything about the show and for the new audiences as well, and this skyrocketed the show’s overall ratings. But this was not it! They even had better animation than the previous adaptations, amazing voice acting, developed movements, and overall H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S. They even tried to use the mutagen to take over the world! Just like their names, who would’ve thought, right?
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have made many allies and foes over the course of over forty years! Most of them, as we all know, are mutated animals. The Punk Frogs were meant to be the same idea, but instead of just being side characters, they were supposed to be the main opposer for our favorite turtles.
They were created to be the exact opposite of our mighty heroes, and initially, people loved and hated the characters for who they were, but as the stories developed more and the characters were shown in more detail, most of the fans came to sympathize with the four, cute but deadly frogs who always thought they were on the path to save the whole world. In fact, it is speculated by many die-hard fans of the TMNT series that if the stories were to be changed a little, where instead of Shredder finding them, if the turtles found them, their powers, intelligence, and overall usage would’ve been way higher than it is now.
In the case of the IDW adaptation of the punk frogs, the frogs have gone from being best friends with the turtles to be the most tragic foes the turtles have ever faced. They have embarrassed themselves over and over, trying to take down the turtles. Even Shredder would hide his face if he saw what they were doing.
But it doesn’t mean that they are useless! No, no, my friends, every time they’ve tried to cause hindrance to the turtles, they have unknowingly helped other people and the turtles as well.
Mutagen Ooze runs through their veins, and it is the very mutagen that caused them to become super…amphibians? This mutagen, in the wrong sticky, moisty hands, could lead to worldwide chaos, but we do not have to worry about that with the Punk Frogs. Even though they have tried taking over the world once using the mutagen from their blood, their plan was soon spoiled by our favorite turtles who didn’t just kick their buttocks but also befriended them to such an extent that the Punk Frogs turned into protagonists in the latest chapters.
TMNT: Invasion of the Punk Frogs
We all know Rocksteady and Bebop, the infamous criminals who were turned into mutant animals by Shredder himself. They have always somehow managed to let Shredder down. The Punk Frogs were introduced in Season 2, Episode 8 of the original TMNT, where they were working under Shredder alongside Rocksteady and Bebop. The brainwashed foursome was supposed to be assisted by Rocksteady and Bebop.
The Punk Frogs did an excellent job in holding back the turtles while Shredder did his “righteous act” of finding the mutagen until Rocksteady and Bebop decided to join in. From there, as usual, those two made sure they lived up to their reputation and gave the turtles a massive clue and a considerable advantage in the fight because this caused the Turtles to save the Punk Frogs from the Anti-Turtle Squad under Captain Hoffman and confront the Punk frogs and let them know the truth behind Shredder’s real intentions, causing Shredder to lose one of his biggest trump cards.
This was the very first time the turtles were fighting a group made specially to fight against them, and this made them really special.
Punk Frogs and their other appearances
Despite being very interesting characters and having a steady storyline for their past, they have made minimal appearances in shows and movies. Some of them being
“Leatherhead: Terror of the Swamp,” “Big Bug Blunder,” “Leonardo, the Renaissance Turtle,” and many more. All of these have been super hit episodes for the TMNT franchise, and we are sure that the more the Punk Frogs appear, the more we’ll love them.
Punk Frogs and their members
As we all know that they are named after real-life villains, do they also possess the same traits as the people they are named after, or are they polar opposites?? Now let’s look into each of the frogs more carefully, and hopefully, with gloves cos their lives are full of slippery pieces of information…
Attila Frog
At first, we have Attila. He is kind of the leader of the Punk Frogs who always leads them ahead… or at least tries to. He wields a Flail which he uses to grab things to hang from and flee or to bonk his enemies in the head. At the end of Season 2, Episode 8 of TMNT, it was his decision to return to the Everglades which every member of the Punk Frogs followed.
Genghis Frog
Next up, we have Genghis, named after the famous Genghis Khan. We can just wish that there was more similarity between them except just their names. He uses a battle axe to fend his enemies off, but when it doesn’t work, he also uses the axe to throw at the enemies as a distraction while he jumps away from danger.
Napoleon Bonafrog
Third, on the list, we have Napoleon Bonafrog. As funny as his name sounds, all we know is that he is a reticent and loving member of the group. Even when he was turned into a giant brute by Shredder, he still retained his natural gentle disposition and refused to hurt anyone. His choice of weapon is a bullwhip which is very accurate to his name as Napoleon’s favorite plaything was also… the bullwhip…ahem ahem.
Rasputin the Mad Frog
Anyways, lastly, we have Rasputin. Rasputin is also known as a mad frog because his actions are way faster than his words, and he creates havoc on his own, even for his own teammates. He is the only one in his group who knows archery, and he is pretty good at his job as well! In Season 2, Episode 8 of TMNT, he shot multiple arrows to blind the turtles while they fled away from the group. This was a key highlight moment as it made Rasputin one of the fan favorites!
Are the Punk Frogs lost or remembered?
Even after all this fame and introduction of new and special characters, new modifications done to each and every character’s style, and complete overall changes, the Punk Frogs were somehow forgotten among the fans; in fact, let’s be honest, any person born after the year 2000 has probably never even heard of them because villains like Shredder always manage to get the spotlight, and this is because, after the first introduction of the Punk frogs, the new adaptations were just not meeting the fan requirements. But do not worry, as the recent TMNT series is bringing back our Punk Frogs, woohoo! They are back in the series as allies to the turtles, but their own mission is yet to be revealed.
In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #124, our protagonists are seen searching for the residents of Mutant Town. Even though this issue is primarily sad and depressing, the tone of the whole matter is changed when the Punk frogs are shown to be back and looking even better than last time. They managed to assist the turtles this time with…let’s say…minimal damage to the surrounding areas and yet again managed to make a place in the viewer’s hearts.
We are sure that even if the Punk Frogs do not appear in any games or comics anytime soon, they sure have made an everlasting impression in our hearts as the clumsy, innocent, and always happy group of frogs who are always ready to do the right thing.
Conclusion
After discussing and looking into these characters in great detail, we all have come to the conclusion that the Punk Frogs are probably the funniest allies/foes of our favorite turtles. Starting from the games in which they star to the comics and series they are mentioned in or shown, they always manage to do something special, which always catches the viewer’s eye. That’s why we at Marvellous videos definitely suggest you go check out the amazing games and comics, and if you do so, please leave a comment on who is your favorite character from the Punk Frogs and why!